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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28905237">Toppats At War</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HughMungas69/pseuds/HughMungas69'>HughMungas69</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Characters to be added, Humanoid Versions of Characters, Minor Graphic Violence, Multi, Multiple POV Characers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Toppat Civil Warfare Ending | TWC (Henry Stickmin), Reginald and Right Hands survive TCW, Ships to be added - Freeform, Toppat Dave Panpa, Toppat Ellie Rose (Henry Stickmin), Toppat Henry Stickmin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:48:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,371</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28905237</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HughMungas69/pseuds/HughMungas69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After escaping The Wall herself Ellie tracks Henry and hitchhikes a ride to the Toppat airship. While Henry is overthrown and exiled he manages to escape alongside what few loyalists he has and manages to take down the leadership of The Toppat Clan. With seemingly infinite amounts of luck and information that he shouldn’t have on Henry’s side,  what Ellie hopes will be little more than a manhunt with her newfound role as leader of the Toppats is set to spiral into all out war.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Toppats At War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ellie clung to the rungs on the back of the bright red pod as it descended into the airship. It had been close, between escaping the wall herself and tracking down the Toppat outpost Henry had launched from while evading the Canadian government she’d nearly missed him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully the eccentric Toppat leader stopped on the way to sort his wardrobe of his signature gold dollar chain top hat, brown dress boots, black pants, white dress shirt, navy suit vest, midnight black overcoat with a gold chain connecting both sides of the collar and a navy jabot before returning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Henry walked through an automatic door, his pace even and his gait flat. The conversation inside the bridge of the airship was muffled beforehand but after Henry entered a British voice bled through.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Henry. Where have you been?” a man asked. Ellie took her cue and stepped through the door. She only had a moment to look past Henry at the number of clan members in the room. Well over a dozen, the two most prominent being closest to Henry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice she’d heard belonged to a man with brown hair and a moustache in a plain black suit wearing gloves and a fedora. Next to him was someone taller in a similar suit but with a wide brimmed top hat. His hair and bushy handlebar moustache were orange. The left side of his face was covered in solid metal, the eye entirely swapped for a bright red light and she could see his right hand was metallic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Shit I’ve really jumped into a hornets nest.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘If the Toppats stick with him, there’s no way I can fight my way out of here especially with the cyborg. Unlucky for you Stickmin, I have an ace up my sleeve. The Toppat’s pride in their reputation. And I’m about to shove it up your ass!’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You wanna know?!” All eyes in the room landed on the red headed thief, though noticeably Henry’s were last. His sharp blue eyes looked at her blankly so her emerald irises stared hatred back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ummm, sorry but who exactly are you?” the accented Toppat asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Ellie. But your boss wouldn’t remember my name. If he even does remember me it’s as the cellmate who he abandoned after I broke him out of The Wall!” Several people around the room gasped and soon eyes were on Henry, still blankly looking into Ellie’s eyes. There was a calmness to him, his posture unflinching, clothes emasculate, not a single white hair out of place. He acted like this meant nothing to him, and that pissed Ellie off even more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Henry, is this true? You would really bring such dishonour to the Toppat name!” the same Toppat as before yelled. As calm as ever Henry kept staring at Ellie, even while his subordinate rallied the room against him. Even while the cyborg and another Toppat pulled him by the arms to a port platform with a wooden plank extending out he kept his eyes on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are we doing this?” a gentle looking man asked after Henry was shoved to the end of the plank. His top hat was exceedingly tall, other than that his silver jacket and monocle for each eye set him apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought Henry was a pretty good leader, the clan has been successful in the last five months under him.” A short old man with a small top hat wearing a white shirt, black tie, grey vest and pants smoking a pipe also spoke up. The cyborg who’d she’d found out was named Right Hand Man quickly called for them both to be locked away in the brig. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ellie stood on the platform with Right Hand Man while Reginald Copperbottom, the former Toppat leader moved to take his top hat back from Henry. In an instant Henry grabbed Reginald’s outstretched arm, pulled him off balance and shoved him over the edge. Right Hand Man quickly converted his legs into a rocket and flew after his former boss. Ellie quickly grabbed a rifle and chambered a round aimed at Henry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jump, Stickmin. Or I’ll make you,” she growled at him. Again she found him blankly staring at her eyes. And then the bastard had the nerve to smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you around Ellie Rose.” In hindsight Ellie wished she’d shot him in the chest instead of being caught off guard by him knowing her name after all. Still grinning, Henry tipped backwards off his heels and plummeted towards the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not our smartest move, ey?” Geoffrey remarked inside his cell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Admittedly no,” the other loyalist answered leaning against the shared wall of the adjacent cells with his eyes turned to the roof.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were right though, this feels wrong. Henry did a lot of good for the clan, and they didn’t give him a chance to explain himself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m with ya, but with the example that lady and Reggie set with us and pretty soon Henry, anyone who might feel similar is as good as silence-” Geoffrey was cut off by a loud crash. He walked over to the window of his cell door, Henry was standing outside and Floyd Winters was on the ground, his orange hat knocked off and a small blood puddle around his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Henry?” the older man exclaimed through the glass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas and I are still on your side, you gotta get us out!” Floyd began picking himself off the ground, it became obvious he’d split his forehead and broke his nose when he’d hit the floor. The man in a security guard uniform from the next cell dove out and tried to tackle Floyd. He got an elbow to the gut and thrown over the Toppat’s shoulder for the effort.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Floyd readied to beat him Henry crept through the broken cell door. He grabbed Floyd by the shoulder to turn his head and landed a right hook to his cheek sending him spiraling to the ground out cold. The white haired crime boss unlocked Geoffrey and Thomas’ cells. With a notable smile and bright eyes he offered their fellow prisoner a hand up which he took.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dave Panpa. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” he asked in an upbeat voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know him boss?” Thomas asked. Henry’s smile grew as he patted the  disheveled guard’s back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do! He’s the armature cop that practically helped me bust out of West Maesa.” Henry was grinning ear to ear while Dave’s eyes noticeably turned to the floor as he rubbed his bicep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “But introductions can wait, we have places to be.” Henry guided Dave to a keypad that opened a door to an escape mod. The four men all climbed in and soon were being propelled away from the airship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kinda tight in here.” Dave trailed off before suddenly everyone lurched to the side. The noises of startled men covered a faint thud off the side of the escape pod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh, Henry? What was that for?” While everyone else had been stuck to one side of the pod the banished Toppat leader was holding onto a rail next to the pods steering panel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about that gents, didn’t want to hit a bird.” Geoffrey noticed that back in the bridge Henry had been stone faced and quiet. But ever since breaking into the brig, he’d been grinning nonstop with a glint in his eyes and excitement in his voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pod soon landed in the middle of the desert. For a moment Geoffrey and Thomas looked around for civilization, Dave was catching his breath, and Henry stood with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the horizon. Both Toppats looked between each other curiously then at their leader’s back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You wanna know something funny?” Henry asked still facing the open desert. Geoffrey could feel the concern starting to build in his gut, he could tell it was building in Thomas too and even Dave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the longest time I had a pretty solid idea of what I was gonna do. It felt like I had fate or something whispering in my ear, like I’d already taken every chance before and now all that was left was to come out on top.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh, you ok boss?” Geoffrey asked. That concern in his gut turned into a pit when Henry started to chuckle. Then laugh. Then cackle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And now, for the first time in as long as I can remember, that feeling is gone! Ahahahahahahaha!” Henry turned to his followers with a frightening grin and eyes brimming with excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For once it feels like </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> life! Like I get to choose!”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Henry, did you hit your head when you crashed through the side of the airship?” Thomas asked. Henry’s laughter calmed as he composed himself, settling back into a straight posture with a confident face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to get so theatrical, personal issues. We’d best get going before Ellie realises we’re gone and tracks that pod. But first,” Henry walked closer to Dave, his face a gentle smile now and put out a hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dave. I know I’m sort of a bad luck charm for you, I’m responsible for you getting fired from West Maesa and the National Museum, and I’m pretty sure I’m the reason the Toppats kidnapped you.-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait- YOU stole the Tunisian Diamond?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah yeah- We’ll talk about that later. My point is I know you have reasons not to come with us and you’re free to go if you want. But I owe you big time for all the trouble I’ve gotten you into and the most I can offer you right now is a place in my crew. Your call Dave.” The formed prison and security guard looked at Henry’s offered hand cautiously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not like I got many options anyway.” With a small slightly sad smile Dave took Henry’s hand.<br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ellie looked out the bridge window of the airship watching dozens of flashlight beams scanning the desert sands. Night had fallen making the search even harder. Her foot started tapping uncontrollably and her face pulled into a scowl at her situation. Ellie turned at the sound of the bridge door opening. A Toppat in a pearly white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, a dark green vest and red tie. His top hat had a black brim, green crown and a red band with a white Toppat insignia sewn in the centre.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Search party called ahead. They got nothing. Any tracks left in the sand were blown away and there wasn’t any sign of where they were going left in the pod.” Ellie sighed thickly in frustration at her situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Though we did find Reggie and Right Hand not too far away. They’re both comatose, probably got hit by the pod on its way down. Names Macbeth by the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Fucking Stickmin. Bastard not only survives execution, he breaks out three of the only people who would help him, AND he takes out our chain of command. What the hell did he do to get so damn lucky?!’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ellie inhaled deeply, though it did little to calm her increasing rage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t imagine it would be good for the Toppats to have a splinter cell running around.” Ellie turned her head to lock eyes with Macbeth, and she hit him with the bront of all her rage and vengeful intent in one stare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to make Stickmin pay for abandoning me, and it’s in the clan's best interest that he’s removed from the equation </span>
  <em>
    <span>permanently</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’m willing to help on the condition that I’m the one who kills him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Macbeth’s slate grey eyes stayed as hard as their colour might suggest until his wrinkled forehead and brows pulled together and his lips parted in a smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do you one better. Normally when a Clan Leader is knocked off the top it’s because they step down an’ name a successor, or whoever defeated ‘em takes charge by right of conquest. Since Reggie and Right Hand are both unfit to lead an’ Stickmin is officially denounced, normal procedures are out the window.” Ellie’s eyes widened in surprise. She would’ve thought the most notorious crime syndicate would have a more definite or complex method of leadership selection.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re telling me there’s a power vacuum in the clan right now?” Ellie’s hand went to her chin as she spoke aloud in thought. “This could go bad really fast. If there’s a power vacuum and no clear plug, everyone has an equal chance to try and take power for themselves. That son of a bitch Stickmin! If the clan tears itself apart he can swoop in as the easy fix and assimilate anyone who just wants the clan in one piece or doesn’t have the nerve to stand against him. All he’d have to do is wait.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly, which is why we need a leader people can get behind fast,” Macbeth interjected. He then pointed a finger at Ellie and said something to shake her world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kinda like you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ummm… Excuse me?” she questioned while blinking wide eyes rhythmically. “I-I’m not even part of The Toppat Clan, h-how am I supposed to get everyone to follow me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First you're thinkin’ wrong,” Macbeth commented with a smirk. “You wouldn’t be convincin’ the whole clan, just a dozen or so higher ups myself included. Second, you exposed Stickmin which ultimately got him denounced. That right there gives you a better claim than anyone else, you could easily argue right of conquest. And three, your rap sheet looks better than anyone else’s. You were high profile enough to be Henry Stickmin’s cellmate, and you two are the only criminals in history to escape The Wall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even if that’s all true,” Ellie eyed Macbeth cautiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you help me? It would make more sense if you went on your own and threw me to the wolves.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Projecting much?” Macbeth asked while chuckling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like you said, if all the heads of The Toppat Clan start clawing for power we’ll tear ourselves apart. Me joining in on somethin’ like that only makes it worse. I don’t want to see governments commin’ down hard on us, ‘cause they will if they notice were divided. If I try an’ take charge a lotta Toppats ’ll pay the price. You’re our best shot at a future, an’ I’ll take a future with you as the boss over no future at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, I wasn’t expecting something so heartfelt.” Ellie was genuinely surprised by Macbeth’s dedication. Of course there were stories of The Toppat Clan all throughout the criminal circuit, everyone knew about the luxury, the status and the money. But Macbeth was showing her something else, the heart. Any other criminal syndicate would certainly fall apart in a similar situation. Yet Macbeth was proving to her that even on the highest level where one would think the most opportunistic members would gravitate there was still someone who thought of the clan as something more than themselves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, if I’m going to be the future face of The Toppat Clan, then I’m going to need a spruce up.” The redhead gestured towards her body covered in a thin layer of dirt as well as her less than ‘Toppat certified’ outfit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll sort it boss. I’ll also get the other heads to all meet, so we can get the question of who’s in charge out of the way.” Without the need to discuss anything else Macbeth turned and exited leaving Ellie alone with her thoughts once again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Even if this meeting doesn’t go well I’ve still got Macbeth in my corner. He’ll argue my case to the end so long as he believes I’m good for the clan. But if it does work, is it even what I want? I’ve been chasing Stickmin every second since I got free, even now I can’t get it out of my head that he’s gotten away with betraying me. But if I become the leader of The Toppat Clan, I take on the responsibility of leading the clan to success. If I make this just about killing Stickmin then I’d be the same as him, using for my own ends without a care what happens to them afterwards.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ellie turned her eyes back out the window. The headlights of the search party were drawing closer. Soon they’d be in the air, and Ellie would be on a crash course with the man she hated most.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  <span><br/>
To say the tension in the meeting room was palpable would be an understatement. Everyone knew the position the clan was in, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>trusted exactly zero people in the room to play nice. After Macbeth told everyone to sit and wait for his recommendation to arrive it was clear the discomfort was going to grow exponentially. By now Sven was visibly sweating and Carol looked ready to kill someone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily a new presence entering the room sliced through the tension like a hot knife through butter. Ellie had already garnered attention, with her brazen attitude towards Henry, blazing eyes of fiery green hate and her commanding presence effectively suppressing the clan members into obeying her while Reginald and Right Hand Man were absent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All those traits were present and accounted for when she strode into the Toppat meeting room. She carried herself with a certain assertiveness, everything about her posture and presence selling the part of someone who would barge you over if needs or wants be. The unkept fire in her eyes had been contained, now resembling a glass flask holding liquid fire ready to crack and free itself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her attire had been refined into something at home but distinct amongst the clan. Her top hat was an ordinary shape, light pink in colour with a ring of purple roses around the base of the crown. Her outfit consisted of a double breasted tailcoat the same pink as her hat buttoned at the waist with a dark purple interior over a wine red corset and pinstripe pink dress shirt. Her knee high cream coloured heeled boots overlapped over a pair of dress pants the same red as her corset, and a pair of purple gloves and a purple jabot around her neck put a seal on her attire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Walking in a stride with hardened glass eyes Ellie took her seat at the head of the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know the circumstances around my- </span>
  <em>
    <span>recruitment and promotion</span>
  </em>
  <span>- were far from normal, but I also don’t think there’s ever been a splinter faction of The Toppat Clan before.” Ellie spoke confidently and calculated not leaving a gap for someone to but in and challenge her. Not that anyone would try, something about the woman gave an oppressing aura. Surprising everyone in the room including Macbeth the newly appointed chief’s face cracked in a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Stickmin is hardly a concern to us, without Toppat resources he’s just the head of a four man team against the greatest syndicate in history. We can freeze all his assets and leave an ear to the ground if he starts moving, he’s not what I want to talk about.” Ellie produced a remote from her coat pocket and in press a few buttons darkened the room and lowered a projector.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Every thief with a dream has thought about owning one of the two most valuable gemstones in the world, the Tunisian Diamond or the Romanian Ruby.” A picture of each jewel flashed on the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, the Tunisian Diamond has since disappeared and no one knows who stole it. But The Toppat Clan does have ownership of the Romanian Ruby.” At the click of a button the slide changed to a picture of a news report surrounding the theft of the diamond and a picture of the airships vault.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“While I was on the outside I heard a rumour. A little vetting later and it turns out when Mother Earth delivered us a twin pair of giant jewels, we missed the triplet. Until now.” Gasps around the room set off as an image of an emerald nearly as tall as a person hit the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meet the Norwegian Emerald. We’re going to steal it.”</span>
</p>
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